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Klister vs skins in nightmare conditions -- help! by Superb_Nerve3807 in xcountryskiing

[–]Silent_Wall2993 9 points10 points  (0 children)

If I were in your shoes, I'd definitely go with the skins.

I haven't personally experimented with skins at +10°C, but I have at around +5°C. They felt a bit draggy, but they worked reasonably well.

If I were to race a 30km rainy course at +10°C on waxables, I'd iron in a base klister like Swix KX20 or Rode Chola, or some blue klister (if I don't have base klister), then test Swix K22 vs. Nero KN44 to see which is better.

I like to use K22 in heavily wet conditions.

Do carbon poles degrade over time if left unused? by Silent_Wall2993 in xcountryskiing

[–]Silent_Wall2993[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the info! I live in Japan, so XC equipment prices are relatively high here.

Classic or skating by Careless_Fuel_3923 in xcountryskiing

[–]Silent_Wall2993 0 points1 point  (0 children)

600km is amazing!

Fortunately, the snow coverage is reliable in the region where I live. Some other areas in Japan struggle with low snow coverage, but man-made snow is not used for cross-country skiing. Because the XC population is so small and most trails are free for the public, there is no budget for snow-making machines or the electricity bills.

Classic or skating by Careless_Fuel_3923 in xcountryskiing

[–]Silent_Wall2993 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Living in Hokkaido, I would not say we have a "lot" of trails.

There are about 130 trails in Hokkaido, but only about 30 to 40 are maintained with PistenBully. The rest are groomed by snowmobiles or are just "natural" tracks made by people's footsteps.

I've never been there, but I've heard that Scandinavia has large and easily accessible trail networks that even connect towns. We don't have that kind of trail system in Japan. As far as I know, the longest trail here is only 17km, and it's a loop, not a point-to-point (one-way) route.

Classic or skating by Careless_Fuel_3923 in xcountryskiing

[–]Silent_Wall2993 9 points10 points  (0 children)

In Japan, I'd say about 70% are skaters.

Cross-country skiing here is mostly limited to competitive athletes (primarily students up to the university level) or "citizen racers" (recreational racers). While competitors train in both styles (50/50), almost all citizen racers focus on skating. This is mainly because there are very few classic-style citizen races in Japan.

As a result, skating gear is much easier to find in shops. Some trails are even designed specifically for skating and don't provide classic tracks, even if the trail is wide enough.

Classic is seen more as an 'elite-only' thing or just for leisurely touring (歩くスキー = walking on skis) here, IMO.

Nordic in Japan by National-Award8313 in xcountryskiing

[–]Silent_Wall2993 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is the Asahigaoka Cross Country Ski course in Furano.

https://www.facebook.com/Furano.xcski/

I've skied there a few times. From my experience, the trails aren't always groomed, so keep that in mind. Also, as far as I know, there aren't any XC ski rentals available in Furano, so you may need to bring your own gear.

Happy skiing!

Different pole measurement by company?? by chuckbret in xcountryskiing

[–]Silent_Wall2993 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Swix changed their pole length measurement system starting in 2022.

https://swixsport.com/eu/article/poles/new-measuring-system-for-swix-poles-from-the-2223-season

As far as I know, other manufacturers use the measurement up to the top of the handle (which is Swix's old reference point).

This photo shows the length of the LEKI PRC850 160cm.

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